So, even when that lightning hit and I realized it had fried my laptop, I didn’t even then realize that it was going to take over my entire weekend. Oh well…

OK, so I think I mentioned that my laptop has to be sent to California for repairs because apparently there isn’t anyone within 1,500 miles in any direction who can be trusted to open a computer case and fiddle with the innards. I was told by the “Geek Squad” (which apparently is an honorary title since the “geek” seemed to know less about laptops, repairs and general human capacity with tools than I do) fellow (between his complaints about some physical ailment that I am sure was deeply concerning to him and as a human being I should have been desperately concerned about, but the truth is I went there to get my laptop fixed, not to commiserate with the health woes of the local stand-in for Jabba the Hutt…) that it was likely with a lightning strike scenario that I would have to get a replacement computer. Since they no longer carry the one I bought, I asked what replacement I would get and he said “oh, something with comparable features.” Hmm… I hope their and my idea of comparable features doesn’t end up requiring a small claims court to adjudicate….

Anyway, that was most of my morning. Some of you may remember that the reason I purchased the lightning-struck laptop in the first place is because my old desktop managed to let the smoke out of some component, which anyone tech savvy knows is a bad thing and my attempts to repair it, although considerable and expensive, were ultimately futile. But, that repair work is still incomplete and sitting on my office floor (don’t go there) so I decided that perhaps I should again attempt that repair, since I’ve already spent a couple hundred dollars on it. It turns out that I can get a new CPU for the computer for about $50. Since that’s the final bit of electronic equipment that I haven’t actually replaced (well, that and the hard drive, but seriously, every other electronic item has been replaced so far) it’s a decent bet that replacing the CPU may repair that afflicted device.

Or not.

So I’ve been revisiting that repair and looking on eBay to see if I can get a CPU and I’m just about to hit “Buy it Now” on one…

Of course I also had to disassemble the electric “eye” on our garage door to find what I think is the lightning-damaged component there (it appears that the infra-red sensor is no longer working, but the infra-red signal emitter has a nice shiny green light on it, so I think it’s still good). So tomorrow I’ll be at Home Depot grabbing folks in the aisles asking “have you ever seen anything like this? And if so, what aisle can I find a replacement?”

I haven’t done anything yet with the stove or any of the plugs, I think I’ll let the professionals handle those.

And of course now I’m trying to reinstall a bunch of software on a computer I haven’t used in four years, and that’s been a pain all in itself.

2 users commented in " Lightning strike update "

keep a detailed list of everything that seems damaged. check EVERYTHING that was plugged in. Phones as well, as all things electric will have a common ground. Your homeowners insurance is good for this sort of thing.

It’s really amazing that none of our TVs seems to have been affected, three of four plugged in and active laptops were not affected and the garage door is literally on the opposite corner of the house from where the lightning hit and it got blown out.

My biggest concern is that the electrical wiring in this house was already sub-par and this can’t have done it any good.